April 10, 2008

E-85

The first E-85 fueling pump has opened in Maricopa County. Arizona House majority leader Tom Boone joins us to talk about E-85, an 85 percent ethanol fuel blend, and a bill that would help create more biofuel stations in Arizona.

Ted Simons:
In a search for an alternative to gasoline, ethanol emerged as a top choice. As a matter of fact, there is an Ethanol producing plant in Pinal County. Until recently, no E-85 fueling station was in Maricopa County. E-85 a blend of gas and ethanol. I'll to a lawmaker about his bill to get more bio-fuel pumps in Arizona. First, Mike Sauceda tells us about the E-85 fueling station.

Mike Sauceda:
This is a car that runs on a cocktail of 85\% booze and 15\% gas. It's a 2006 Chevy Impala Flexfield vehicle owned by state Republican representative Tom Boone. It is filled up for the first time at the Maricopa county first E-85 fueling station. Price per gallon is only $2.79, and the attendant pumps the fuel for you to be sure that the car can use the blend known as E-85.

Tom Boone:
My hope would be this is the first of many stations in the valley. Hopefully there will be one closer to me. My plan to be to use it exclusively from now on.

Mike Sauceda:
The new fueling station is just south of the state capitol at western state petroleum. Bob Kec is the owner of Western States, and says E-85 does have benefits.

Bob Kec:
Super clean emissions, there is no after burning, and it is replacing a fuel that is coming in from overseas.

Mike Sauceda:
Kec says E-85 is purchased from a refinery near Casa Grande. Boone, a long time advocate of bio-fuels, has a couple of bills in the legislature concerning them, one that would give gas stations owners grants of up to $30,000 to help them convert to bio fuels.

Tom Boone:
I've been very supportive of the bio-fuels movement since mid 90, we used bio-diesel there, and I have been an advocate for quite sometime. We have a bill in this session, another bill, two bills; they're intended for two reasons. To help retailers that would like to help carry the bio-fuels, equipment to carry the bio-fuels, allow them to apply for grants from the state fund, not supported by the taxpayers, but supported by grants and -- and also allow -- weights and measures bill, weights and measures flexibility to adjust to all of the rules and regulations coming out on the bio-fuels as a results of the federal energy act that the federal government has passed.

Mike Sauceda:
Boone hopes his bills will lead to more E-85 fueling pumps, but he's happy there's one right now.

Tom Boone:
I'm pleased it is open. I'm pleased we have it available to the folks of Maricopa County. Hopefully, there are other stations that are considering the bio-fuels, the E-85, and I would encourage them to do so. I think there's well over 100,000 vehicles that I'm aware of in Maricopa county that have that capability, and a lot more coming on board with the manufacture. So, I would hope other stations would consider them.

Ted Simons:
Earlier I talked to Republican state representative Tom Boone about his bills that would help create more bio-fuel station.

Ted Simons:
Representative Tom Boone thank you for joining us. We saw you filling up for the first time with E-85. How is it going?

Tom Boone:
Runs fine, car still runs very good. Going very well.

Ted Simons:
Let's talk E-85 and get some definitions out of the way. What is E-85?

Tom Boone:
It burns cleaner than regular unleaded fuel and it is renewable, meaning it is made from renewable sources, not finite sources.

Ted Simons:
I understand we have how many pumps of this stuff in Maricopa County?

Tom Boone:
There is only one area to get it in Maricopa County now. There is about six or seven outside of the county, but only one inside.

Ted Simons:
Why is that?

Tom Boone:
I passed the law to allow it to be sold in Maricopa County; we are getting around to having stations take a look at carrying it. Prior to that time there was a quirk in the law, EPA statutes that we fall under, and we had to make a minor change to allow stations to carry it in the valley. Now they can. They are slowly coming around to taking a look at it.

Ted Simons:
Other places around the state, a few in Pima County. Correct?

Tom Boone:
Yes, there is. Down in Tucson, Sierra Vista, and up north in Prescott.

Ted Simons:
Why there and not here?

Tom Boone:
Again, because up until a year and a half ago, about two years ago now it couldn't be sold in Maricopa county because of that correction we had to make.

Ted Simons:
That one thing.

Tom Boone:
That's right.

Ted Simons:
You have two bills making their way right now. Let's talk about those.

Tom Boone:
Sure. Two bills, primary bill 2621, weights and measures, weights and measures department in Arizona oversees all fuels including bio-fuels at the pump to be sure they're high quality, number of gallons being measured and all of that stuff. As a result of the federal energy act passed by congress, a lot of bio-fuels, ethanol 85 and bio-diesel that are going to be produced and distributed in the united states as a result of all of the incentives that are in that act. What that bill does is that it allows the weights and measures, creates all of the definitions and statutes for bio-fuels, allows weights and measures to have the flexibility to react to all of the new fuel and fuel regulations coming down from the feds coming along with the bio-fuels. Allows them to react in a timely manner so that people in Arizona will have choice at the pump in terms of bio-fuels versus regular fuels.

Ted Simons:
The other bill

Tom Boone:
The other bill bioconversion fund program, that is to help stations, some of the older stations have equipment that can't tolerate the bio-fuels, and so there has to be some changes to their equipment. This allows them to apply for grants. No state money involved, but a lot of organizations that want to promote the use of the bio-fuel so it allows the state to get involved in checking those and giving them out to station that want to convert.

Ted Simons:
And how do these bills stand right now.

Tom Boone:
Both bills passed out of the house with wide margins of support. They passed both committees in the senate and they are ready to go to the floor. A minor amendment on one of them, but intact on the way they passed out of the house.

Ted Simons:
Is this legislation the kinds of thing that if you don't have high gas prices, you company don't get anyone's attention?

Tom Boone:
I think that is a good way of looking at it at this point in time. Looking at bio-fuels in light of the high petroleum prices, definitely spurs interest in the bio-fuels.

Ted Simons:
Is that one of your major frustrations?

Tom Boone:
It is.

Ted Simons:
What are the other frustrations? Are people not paying attention until the prices get so high?

Tom Boone:
I think a lot of people are beginning to look at the bio-fuels more not only for the pricing part but the part for the environmental sides, renewable fuels, both burn very clean compared to petroleum counterparts. I think more and more people are picking that up. A lot of people don't know in the case of E-85 that they have cars that can even run on that.

Ted Simons:
If someone is watching, this sounds like a great deal. I want to get involved. How do you know if your car runs on it or if you want to get a car that runs on it?

Tom Boone:
You can check the owner's manual, you can go to the internet, and self web sites for E-85 that lists of vehicles made in the united states by year, make, model he, and you can check the VIN number to see if it fits that in VIN number category. A lot of them have tags on them. Another way you can open the filler cap on the inside of the filler cap you can actually, it will say unleaded fuel or E-85. You can check that on your vehicle also.

Ted Simons:
But if you have a Nissan or a Toyota, pretty big sellers here in America, you are out of luck.

Tom Boone:
Right now those two manufacturers to the best of my knowledge don't make the flex fuel vehicles that run on E-85. General motors is pushing it a lot now, ford has pushed it a lot, and Chrysler.

Ted Simons:
Sales figures for those vehicles that can run, does it make much of a difference?

Tom Boone:
In Maricopa alone, estimated to be well in excess of 100,000 vehicles that can run on flex fuel or E-85.

Ted Simons:
I have to ask you, because this is all great environmentally this, that, and the other, if it doesn't cost the right cost no ones going to be interested.

Tom Boone:
I paid less than what unleaded was at the pump when I bought my last tank of E-85. 2.79 and I think it is $3.2 for unleaded gas.

Ted Simons:
If the subsidies go away, all bets are off.

Tom Boone:
If the subsidies go away, it might be slightly higher than unleaded gas. For now enjoy the subsidies.

Ted Simons:
Hello, and welcome to "Horizons." I'm Ted Simons. Before we get to the main topics, the latest news, Arizona corporation commissioner Chris May said she is not going to run for the congressional seat in district one. That is the seat that will be vacated by Renzi. Not too many politicians take a tough stand of any sort against Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio, but Mayor Gordon did recently at a Cesar Chavez lunch in. Criticized the crime suppression sweeps. We will talk to the mayor. Gordon held a breakfast meeting this morning to discuss a global trade delegation. He talked about the first target for the delegation, a partnership with Dubai.

Phil Gordon:
We are establishing direct relationships, there are four goals that my colleagues and I want to establish and discuss today. First and foremost from my perspective, that we want emirates Phoenix Sky Harbor flight to open the gateway to the Middle East and beyond. To explore research and joint venture partnerships, and to support emerging local technology, innovation with the focus on health care, information, communications, and most importantly solar energy and other sustainable technologies. Third, to explore direct investment and marketing opportunities both in Dubai and Phoenix, so it benefits both of our great cities. And finally, the biggest lesson I've learned during my visit to Dubai was their incredible, most incredible ability to market themselves on everyone's front burner. When it comes to marketing, I haven't seen anything better both as a city or private entities. So my fourth goal is to form a marketing partnership with Dubai, to market Phoenix to the rest of the world, and to put us on everyone's' map.

Ted Simons:
Here now to talk about that issue, criticism of the sheriff and other issues is Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. "Horizon" invited sheriff Arpaio to be on the show but he declined. Before we get to immigration and Sheriff Arpaio, what we heard the global trade partnership, what does this mean?

Phil Gordon:
This means about going forward for Phoenix into the future and really securing our future. Four years ago when I took office, I thought that we needed to move the city and valley away from the set of competing against each other's city, Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, and rather look at the regions of the world that we should be competing against. Now, after a short four years, we shouldn't be competing against regions of the world. We need to be partners as a city with the regions of the world. It truly is a global economy, and if we are going to succeed in the future, we need economic relationships with cities like us that are on the rise, that are strong, and develop those economic relationships, and by the way, they will make us safer by investing in each other's cities as opposed to what is going on in the world today.

Ted Simons:
Good chance that the flight from the UAE to Sky Harbor any time soon?

Phil Gordon:
Actually we will be announcing by fall a new international flight, not the emirate flight, but we're under negotiations and discussions. Emirate airlines announced a direct flight from Los Angeles to Dubai, and today San Francisco to Dubai. Pretty close, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, you know, I don't know that there is much in between.

Ted Simons:
All right. Very good. Let's get to immigration, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and your thoughts on what seems to be getting awfully close to a tipping point. I mean, talk to us about nerves, about tension, about the tenor of this debate.

Phil Gordon:
Well, first let me point out that there have been a lot of voices now being raised in terms of the actions of the sheriff as they relate to the safety of all law enforcement agents, whether they're undercover, patrolling, Mesa police, Phoenix police, West Valley police, federal agents and the community at large, and really the safety of the community because of these sweeps. It is not just myself raising the voice. What I raised a couple of weeks ago and continue to raise and felt compelled to raise because of the safety issues was that first and foremost, professional law enforcement heads have to not only notify other agencies when they're in their jurisdictions, but work with and coordinate, notification either a day after a raid or during or a couple of hours before doesn't ensure the safety of any officers that are in the area, including those officers or posse members in the area. The second thing, and most importantly also if there are that many available resources at the county, 200 officers, great individuals, that are protecting the community and want to go after criminals, rather than using those individuals to target and go after individuals that are dropping pieces of paper on the ground, i.e. littering, driving with broken taillights, jay walking, whether they're in north Phoenix, whether they're in central Phoenix or in Maricopa, use those resources together with the helicopter, the SWAT teams, the horse patrols that he has been using to go after the criminals that are terrorizing our entire valleys and that there are warrants out already sitting on his desk that are out there convicted felons, those that are wanted by the court, that are dealing drugs, homicide, burglaries, those are where we should put our priorities. That is where every other law enforcement agency puts its resources

Ted Simons:
Are you saying the Sheriff is not notifying phoenix police prior to the sweeps? Is he not notifying them in time? Not notifying them enough?

Phil Gordon:
Two things, number one the first quote, crime suppression right in Phoenix, 26th street and Thomas, the notification came two hours after he notified KTR and other agencies and it was posted on the web. Our notice came from KTR calling us for a comment. As a result of that discussion and the news putting that out, then the commander of the precinct was notified two hours afterwards. That is not the way the protocol was working before. The following raid crime suppression in north Phoenix was announced two or three days before and an email was sent to Phoenix police and they acknowledged back that they got it. What our chief wants, Mesa chief wants, what other chiefs want, and what I've asked for, the professionals, not the politicians, not Sheriff Arpaio and myself that are elected, but the professionals to notify not only each other but to work with and coordinate. When the sheriff sends in 200 officers, deputies, SWAT members into areas, that is a square mile. Everyone can picture the number of alleys, driveways, apartment complexes, there are bad individuals in that area that are criminals and there are undercover operations going on in those areas, that's what needs coordination and timing. In fact, I think your viewers will remember when we had the serial shooters, it was a task force of Phoenix police and Mesa police going into Mesa, coordinated, working together, notifying everybody, and actually staking out the areas and working together to get them. That protected the safety of the officers and ensured the capture of those criminals.

Ted Simons:
Did the sheriff's office in the past provide the kinds of notification you would like to see, or has it always been the case that when the sheriff goes in for whatever crime suppression operation he wants to do in the past, prior to illegal immigration being such a hot topic, is had always you finding out later as opposed to sooner?

Phil Gordon:
Actually it is really puzzling and concerning to the chief and myself, is that in the past the operations, whether they were going after warrants, whether it was other undercover sheriff's agents, deputies, there was not only notification but working with, backing up each other. In fact, I think you'll remember when there was the prison riot a couple of years ago, when Phoenix police went in to rescue the guards and the prison officers and also to quell the riot, it was the coordination with the sheriff's people, and, in fact, notified the sheriff's people what we were doing at their request. Those operations have been coordinated. Our teams were out there, there was coordination, so it is more than notification. It is coordination and working with. Notification is not working together. That's what at best other agencies do across the country. What has worked well here in this valley with the federal and the local and the state police is that we work together. We train together. We back up each other together.

Ted Simons:
And yet the sheriff says, and has said repeatedly, all he is doing is enforcing the law, and much of the public seems to think he is doing a good thing.

Phil Gordon:
Well, again, one, the determination as to whether he is enforcing the law or actually himself violating by targeting individuals that are browned skin and racial profiling, going into areas and arresting 30, 40, 50 people and they're all brown skin, it is hard for me as a layperson not to see that that isn't racial profiling. But let's assume for purposes of discussion what he said that it isn't, the issue still becomes an allocation of resources and an endangerment of the community. Number one, if you are not coordinating, then not only are you endangering the other police officers that there are police officers and his -- and his posse and federal agents, but also the community at large, because by him announcing press conferences in advance, if he is enforcing laws, there is another agency in that valley that will announce in advance of an operation, if you are going after criminals breaking laws, I'm going to have my command center here, this is where we are, and we're going to arrest you. What happens? The criminals go away. Number two, people are so terrified that they won't testify, they won't notify Phoenix police about other crimes going on, serious crimes.

Ted Simons:
Why do you think so many people support these sweeps?

Phil Gordon:
People are frustrated with the lack of action by the federal government whose job it has been since we were founded as a country to secure our borders and the responsibility of immigration control. And as a result of their inaction over the decades, it has gotten out of control, and our borders are porous. Hundreds of millions of dollars spending on unproven technology, on fences that are already torn down, as opposed to hiring border agents, hiring security and enforcing that border, which would then prevent this frustration from rising. People have now turned to the local governments to say we want you to do something. We want to send a message to congress. Well, by band-aiding and piecemealing, you may be sending a message, but that message is congress you don't have to act anymore. Sherriff Arpaio is going to take care of for the entire country, or Phoenix is or Albuquerque is. It's impossible. Plus we're diverting necessary resources to go after felons and criminals. We can't take these officers off the street to do the job of the federal government.

Ted Simons:
And yet the sheriff says about you, the bottom line is he doesn't want me to enforce immigration laws. Is he wrong?

Phil Gordon:
He absolutely knows that he is wrong. Phoenix and the city of phoenix not only enforce more immigration laws, arrested more illegal immigrants, five times, ten times as many as the sheriff's department has, in conjunction with ICE. We're the only agency in the country that has ICE embedded in our Phoenix Police Department. With DPS, going after those operations that are smuggling individuals in, smuggling drugs in, terrorizing individuals. In the last year alone, there have been over 2,000 people taken into custody and turned over to ICE that were at drop houses, 10,000 individuals over the last couple of years that have been arrested for felonies, being illegal and committing crimes. What I don't understand again the allocation of resources that are needed to go after smuglers, not individuals that are walking on the street that are looking for work or, two, targeting a whole population within a community, but rather not going after the criminals, but secondly is why don't we take those resources and go after the criminals, even those illegals that are already there with warrants and secondly, if we are going to do this, then why not take our resources and work with the federal government in a program that will go after the operations.

Ted Simons:
We only have about 30 seconds left, from the police order issue, to the tough tenor of debate here, would you change anything that you've done?

Phil Gordon:
Probably would have spoken up earlier, because you can see the fear in the eyes of American citizens and residents and children when individuals tell a marine, and this was witnessed by KTAR. and similar incidents, and this particular sign was held up in front of American, Mexican citizens, American descent, Mexican descent, and the marine was told I wish you would have died fighting in Afghanistan. We are bringing the extreme elements to a point where it is endangering the safety of the community and the officers and giving an image to this city and Valley and state that isn't what we're about.